Complete list of press releases

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Aug. 8, 2019) Environmental Defense Fund, a leading international nonprofit conservation organization, and TOMS, the Original One for One® Company, have launched a limited-edition footwear collection to promote EDF’s work to save the monarch butterfly from extinction.

The collection — which features butterfly prints on the exterior and monarch migration maps on the interior sole — seeks to raise consumer awareness of the monarch, whose populations have plunged by approximately 90% in the past two decades due to habitat loss and climate change.

To celebrate the shoe collection, TOMS donated $50,000 to Biodiversity Works, a local nonprofit that funds habitat restoration projects on Texas ranchlands — critical rest stops along the monarch’s 3,000-mile journey to and from Mexico each fall and spring. EDF does not accept donations from corporate partners.

“TOMS has helped us ramp up vital conservation activities to build more resilient monarch populations so that this majestic and iconic creature can survive and thrive for generations to come,” said David Festa, EDF’s senior vice president for Ecosystems.

“If we’re going to change the trajectory for the monarch and other pollinators, we need to not only address climate change, but also protect, restore and enhance milkweed and wildflower habitat on working lands — which cover three-quarters of the land in the United States and are largely private. Our nation’s farmers and ranchers are eager to provide habitat not only for the monarch, but many species of wildlife.”

EDF has an ambitious plan to keep the monarch from extinction: restore 1.5 million acres of breeding and feeding habitat in the next 10 years through partnerships with farmers and ranchers as well as scientists.

TOMS partnered with EDF as part of the TOMS Animal Initiative, which helps nonprofit conservation organizations raise awareness and support for global animal protection. This is TOMS’ and EDF’s first partnership for the TOMS Animal Initiative.

“We are proud to help support EDF and the incredible work they do to help save the monarch butterfly,” said Heather Mycoskie, founder of TOMS Animal Initiative. “The goal of the TOMS Animal Initiative is to work with EDF to build awareness about these inspiring creatures and help us all understand how we can protect the butterflies and the ecosystems that support them.”

Learn more about the butterfly collection on TOMS.com, in TOMS stores and at select retailers.

Learn more about how you can help butterfly conservation at edf.org/HelpMonarchs.

(BAKERSFIELD, CA – August 8, 2019) Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District (Rosedale) and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) announced a joint pilot project today to build the first online, open-source water trading platform in the Central Valley in response to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

An early design of the trading platform, which is being co-created by landowners, Rosedale and EDF, will be available in September. The platform will be further tested and refined this fall during a series of workshops and mock trading sessions prompted by various scenarios.

The preliminary schedule calls for a beta version of the platform to go live in early 2020 for the landowner group to test with real trades. A final version will go live for landowners in the Rosedale district in 2021.

The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, or SGMA, requires the state’s most critically over-drafted groundwater basins to develop groundwater sustainability plans by January 2020 to balance groundwater supply and demand within 20 years. SGMA was approved in 2014 during the last drought, when groundwater over-pumping contributed to sinking land, wells running dry and rural residents losing access to clean drinking water.

“We want to provide landowners and growers with as many tools as possible to manage their water more sustainably and balance their water budget,” said Eric Averett, general manager of Rosedale. “We envision water management agencies replicating and expanding this open-source platform to serve other areas of the Central Valley and beyond.”

“Trading will be one of many strategies that will be needed to enable farmers to become much more innovative in how they manage their water. This new platform will serve as a valuable way to connect potential buyers and sellers,” said Christina Babbitt, senior manager of EDF’s California Groundwater Program. “Designing trading programs the right way from the start to protect all groundwater stakeholders, including disadvantaged communities and ecosystems, will be critical to their success.”

Rosedale serves landowners on nearly 44,000 acres west of Bakersfield in Kern County, one of the state’s most overdrawn groundwater basins. Rosedale’s water supply has historically been in balance, but the district projects an annual water shortage of approximately 5,000 acre-feet going forward. The region’s primary crops include almonds, pistachios and grapes.

How the trading platform will work

Landowners will be able to access an online account that shows their annual water allocation, similar to an online dashboard for a checking account. They will be able to post an offer to sell or buy water on the platform, similar to other platforms like Craigslist or eBay. Other users can then respond to the offer, either with a counter offer or by agreeing to the initial price. A buy/sell page will show users all outstanding offers.

Users can remain anonymous when posting their initial offers and responding. As they get closer to reaching an agreement, they will need to disclose their identity in order to communicate outside the platform to sign an agreement and complete the financial transaction. After the agreement is final, they will use the platform to notify Rosedale, and the groundwater balances in the buyer and seller’s accounts will be adjusted accordingly.

All financial transactions will take place outside of the platform. Rosedale will not collect nor exchange money among buyers and sellers. The platform is being funded by Rosedale and co-developed with EDF, WestWater and Sitka Technology Group with support from the Water Foundation. Sitka was selected in a competitive bidding process.

(Washington, DC – August 7, 2019)—The Environmental Defense Fund today applauded the New Democrat Coalition for releasing a platform of principles that includes a push for a 100% clean economy by 2050.

To achieve a 100% clean economy, the U.S. must produce no more climate pollution than we can remove by 2050. Securing a 100% clean economy by mid-century is consistent with the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

“To protect our kids’ health, create quality jobs, and upgrade critical infrastructure, the U.S. must secure a 100% clean economy,” said Elizabeth Gore, EDF Senior Vice President, Political Affairs. “This bold and achievable goal is supported by a diverse group of lawmakers, and EDF is pleased to see the New Democrat Coalition find effective and efficient solutions to the climate crisis.”

The principles released by the New Democrat Coalition’s Climate Change Task force also calls for investments in resiliency, job-creation, and other initiatives to combat climate change.

The New Democrat Coalition released its platform of principles two weeks after Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ) said the House Energy and Commerce Committee will focus on policies to achieve a 100% clean economy and Rep. Donald McEachin (D-VA) announced he will introduce legislation to put the country on a path to a 100% clean economy by 2050.

The New Democrat Coalition consists of over 100 Democratic members of Congress who advocate for pro-economic growth, pro-innovation, and fiscally responsible policies.

(Washington, D.C. – August 7, 2019) EDF is taking action on two fronts to help make sure the public has access to important information about the Trump administration’s efforts to roll back America’s Clean Car Standards.

EDF submitted a request to EPA today to release information related to previously undisclosed meetings between agency officials and industry groups that want to weaken the standards. EDF also joined NRDC to file a letter with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York urging the court to promptly decide a case regarding records about a technical analysis that may weaken arguments for a rollback – an analysis that EPA has tried to bury.

“The Trump administration’s secrecy around efforts to roll back the Clean Car Standards robs Americans of vital public health and safety information,” said EDF attorney Alice Henderson. “EPA has a responsibility to protect the public from dangerous climate and air pollution, and Americans have a right to know what their government is doing to fulfill that responsibility.”

America’s Clean Car Standards have been in effect since 2012. They reduce climate pollution, improve fuel efficiency, and save American families money at the gas pump. The standards have overwhelming support, and four major auto companies and the state of California just reached an agreement to live up to their principles regardless of federal action. In spite of that, the Trump administration is trying to drastically weaken the Clean Car Standards.

A recent report published by Senators Tom Carper and Sheldon Whitehouse detailed numerous potential ethical and legal lapses by former EPA Assistant Administrator Bill Wehrum that relate to efforts to roll back the Clean Car Standards. The report lists seven previously undisclosed meetings between Wehrum and the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers during the time that EPA was preparing the roll back. Wehrum had represented the Alliance and other industry groups just before his stint at EPA.

EDF’s request to EPA today calls on the agency to immediately disclose the details of those improperly concealed meetings and other relevant records. The omission of these records from the rulemaking docket for the proposed rollback of the Clean Car Standards violates the Clean Air Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, and deprives the public of crucial information related to its government’s actions in weakening the popular standards.

EPA also has refused to let the public see the latest OMEGA model – a long used computer model to assess clean car protections. The hidden model could expose the faulty analysis behind the Trump administration’s attack on the Clean Car Standards. EDF and NRDC filed a lawsuit to release the information after EPA failed to release it under the Freedom of Information Act.

In a court filing yesterday, the groups asked the court to act quickly because EPA has submitted its final action on the rollback to the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB):

“[T]he public should have access to relevant factual information before EPA finalizes emission standards that have widespread public health impacts. OMB review strongly indicates that EPA action is imminent.”

(NEWARK, NJ – August 7, 2019) New Jersey’s Elizabethtown Gas is deploying technology originally pioneered by the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and Google Earth Outreach to reduce greenhouse emissions and enhance the safety of their underground pipeline network. The company will map and measure otherwise invisible methane leaks using mobile sensors and advanced analytics to maximize environmental results on its system.

Methane is a potent greenhouse gas with more than 80 times the warming power of carbon dioxide over a 20-year timeframe. It is also the main ingredient in natural gas. Methane leaks are a persistent challenge for utilities, particularly in the Northeast, where the infrastructure is older. Utility leaks are the biggest source of industrial methane in New Jersey. 

Under a five-year, $300 million Infrastructure Investment Program approved in June by the Board of Public Utilities (BPU), Elizabethtown will become among the state’s first gas utilities to integrate advanced leak detection technology. The agreement represents a key benchmark for Gov. Phil Murphy’s new Energy Master Plan, recommending that all gas utilities in the state  adopt the practice.

The latest multi-agency hearing on the Energy Master Plan is scheduled this Thursday, August 8, at the Seton Hall Law School in Newark.

“New Jersey has been at the forefront in deploying this technology. Both utilities and regulators recognized an opportunity to fix a big environmental challenge more quickly and cost effectively by embracing innovation,” said EDF Director of Regulatory and Legislative Affairs Mary Barber. “The results show that it’s time to take the solution statewide, and to set an example for the rest of the country.”

Leak maps created in advance of the new plan by EDF, Google and researchers at Colorado State University using a specially equipped Google Street View mapping car revealed one leak every 1.7 miles in selected sections of the Elizabethtown Gas territory. From 2016 to 2018, the company reduced its leak prone pipeline mileage by 17%, but the company still has about 400 miles of pipe made from cast iron or other leak-prone material. Nearly a third of their mains were installed before 1970.

“Safety is Elizabethtown Gas’ top priority,” said Christie McMullen, president, Elizabethtown Gas (ETG). “ETG vigilantly monitors the integrity of our system, meeting or exceeding federal safety standards, and prioritizing leaks in a way that ensures the safety of our customers, employees and the communities we serve. We’ve eliminated over 35 percent of the leaks previously identified by EDF and reduced ETG’s overall methane emissions. With the acquisition of ETG by SJI in 2018, we are more aggressively pursuing a reduction in our leak inventory through the recently approved five-year Infrastructure Improvement Program, using advanced leak detection technology to eliminate vintage materials from our system and drive the state’s emission reduction goals.”

The draft Energy Master Plan released in June is a blueprint for transitioning New Jersey’s energy profile to 100% clean energy, as directed by Governor Murphy’s Executive Order 28, and reducing greenhouse emissions 80% from 2006 levels by 2050 in accordance with the state’s Global Warming Response Act. The effort is led by the BPU in collaboration with Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Transportation, the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, and the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs.

Since 2014, EDF has demonstrated the accuracy and effectiveness of advanced mobile methane detection technology with local gas utilities in more than a dozen U.S. communities.

An earlier series of pilot projects with New Jersey utility, PSE&G, starting in 2015 continues to show excellent results. For example, three tracts prioritized represented just 9% of the gas line miles sampled but accounted for over 37% of the methane emissions measured. The measurement technology enabled PSE&G to achieve an 83% reduction of methane emissions by replacing one-third fewer miles of piping than under a business as usual scenario.

(SAN FRANCISCO, CA) The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release on August 8 its Special Report on Climate Change and Land, which will detail the major contribution of food production and deforestation to climate change.

“Our best shot at a healthy, prosperous and food-secure future requires us to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build resilience to the climate impacts we cannot avoid. Making agriculture more sustainable and preserving our forests will help on both fronts.

“The scientific breakthroughs that were so successful in boosting yields in the 20^th century to fight global hunger are now threatening our food system. To meet future needs in a changing climate, we must better manage the essential elements that make big yields happen — fertilizer, soil and water. Farmers and ranchers can be part of the climate solution by improving fertilizer efficiency, monitoring their water use, and adopting practices that store more carbon in the soil and make their operations more resilient to extreme weather. We urgently need technological and policy innovations to help more farmers and ranchers break through entrenched cultural, economic and political barriers and adopt these practices.

“Protecting the world’s tropical forests is critical to avoiding the worst effects of climate change. But forests, and their contributions to protecting the climate, are under tremendous threat. That is why we need to ensure tropical forests are worth more standing than when they are cut down for grazing livestock, growing crops or harvesting timber. Fortunately, we can tackle deforestation while producing food sustainably and increasing economic growth by directly working with farmers and ranchers, indigenous people and forest communities.”

• David Festa, Senior Vice President, Ecosystems

(WASHINGTON, DC) Leslie Jones, a former senior official at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has joined Environmental Defense Fund’s Ecosystems program as vice president for working lands. In this newly created position, she will oversee EDF’s collaborative work to improve water quality, biodiversity and climate resilience on the working lands — farms, ranches and forests — that comprise more than two-thirds of land in the United States.

“America’s working lands are essential to addressing climate change and feeding a growing population,” said David Festa, senior vice president for Ecosystems. “With her deep expertise in natural resource management, federal policy and stakeholder engagement, Leslie is well positioned to scale conservation solutions that benefit producers and rural economies.”

EDF’s Working Lands program aims to create a more resilient food system that allows people and nature to prosper in a changing climate by providing ecosystem services such as clean drinking water, flood risk mitigation and crop pollination. To achieve this goal, we’ve partnered with organizations like the National Corn Growers Association to accelerate the adoption of practices that deliver co-benefits for farm finances, soil health, water quality and pollinator habitat.

“EDF has been a key ally for years,” said Jon Doggett, CEO of the National Corn Growers Association. “I look forward to working with Leslie and EDF’s Working Lands program to build on the legacy of stewardship across America’s working lands, and advance progress toward environmental and economic goals.”

Leslie has held senior positions at USDA, including as deputy undersecretary and chief of staff for the Natural Resource and Environment division encompassing the U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service. She has also served as general counsel at The Wilderness Society and chief of staff at Oceana.

“Farmers, ranchers and forest managers are out on the land every day and see firsthand how floods, wildfire and drought affect their livelihoods,” said Leslie. “EDF has a track record of collaborating with land managers on solutions grounded in science and economics, which is one of the many reasons I’m so excited to join the team.”

Agricultural leaders welcomed Leslie’s new role:

“EDF has built a reputation as an environmental nonprofit that actively listens to, and cares about, growers. Hiring someone like Leslie, with leadership experience at the U.S. Forest Service and Natural Resources Conservation Service, will only solidify that well-earned reputation,” said Cori Wittman Stitt, fifth-generation grain farmer, cattle rancher and timber operator in Idaho.

“Leslie brings decades of expertise in crafting and executing policies and programs that benefit producers and the environment, which I saw firsthand at USDA. She brought farmers and ranchers to the table to develop innovative, voluntary conservation agreements. She also built bipartisan support for forest management, recognizing the important role that forests play in a changing climate,” said Dr. Kathleen Merrigan, executive director of the Swette Center for Sustainable Food Systems at Arizona State University and former USDA deputy secretary of agriculture.

“We’re at a critical moment for advancing climate-smart agriculture practices and policies that increase the long-term resilience of farms, ranches, forests and supply chains. Doing so isn’t only a business imperative. It’s also an exciting opportunity,” said Chris Adamo, vice president for federal and industry affairs at Danone North America. “Leslie and EDF are strong voices for bringing producers and private-sector partners into the conversation and finding creative solutions.”

Today, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) published a new report that finds enormous market potential for technologies that monitor individuals’ exposure to hazardous chemicals.

While chemicals make up the material backbone of products in commerce—from couches and carpets to the clothes we wear—and serve an important role in our economy, we know surprisingly little about what we’re exposed to on a daily basis and at what levels. This analysis provides some of the first quantitative evidence of consumer demand for technologies making such information available. 

“Technologies that enable individuals to track their daily chemical exposures could fundamentally change the status quo,” said Lindsay McCormick, EDF Chemicals and Health Program Manager. “Widespread use could enable individuals, governments, businesses, healthcare providers, and others to take targeted actions to reduce harmful exposures and improve health.”

Recently, the market for personal health tracking devices has exploded. And by 2022, the global market for health self-monitoring technologies is projected to reach $71.9 billion. Personal chemical exposure monitors (PCEMs), a relatively recent entrant in the quickly expanding “monitored self” market, are a diverse group of emerging technologies that have the potential to provide individualized data on chemical exposures.

“We’ve seen a huge explosion in consumers interested in learning about their health. Consumers today want control,” said Janie Shelton, a scientist with 23andMe. “With genetic testing, they get compelling, actionable information they can take to a doctor to discuss screening. In the same way, monitoring for environmental chemical exposures could be very actionable.” 

“I’m pretty convinced that, done well, a device that provides more information about the chemicals in our daily life will drive changes in consumer habits,” said Marty Mulvihill, CEO of venture capital firm Safer Made. “And if you can capture that change in consumer habits, there is your way to monetize it.”

“We’ve had a long-standing interest in understanding the indoor air quality of Google facilities. I can imagine a future where we would pair existing stationary air monitoring efforts with personal chemical exposure monitoring to help us even better optimize air quality within our office space,” said Lauren Riggs, Regional Facilities Manager, Google San Francisco.

Currently, investment in new PCEM ventures is not occurring at the same pace as other self-monitoring technologies. To accelerate and inform the efforts of PCEM technology developers, investors and other stakeholders, EDF conducted a study to assess consumer interest in PCEM technologies. The market analysis, conducted by Eastern Research Group, Inc., included a survey to characterize consumer willingness to pay for the devices and interviews with 16 experts from across the supply chain including representatives from Google, 23andMe, and Safer Made.

Key findings from the report include:

• The willingness to pay (WTP) survey found a clear market for PCEM devices among general consumers:
  • The highest WTP value for a single surveyed hypothetical device was $459.
  • Nearly 40 hypothetical devices had a WTP in the $100 to $300 range—a price range reflective of the actual price of other personal monitoring devices on the market today.
  • Device features that consumers valued the most were 1) getting data on a large number of chemicals, 2) getting immediate results, and 3) receiving results that provide information on both level of exposure and whether such exposure is of concern.
• The consumer survey identified certain segments of the market more willing to:
  • Purchase a device, including those who are younger, those who are college-educated, and those who self-reported having healthier habits.
  • Pay more for devices with premium features, including women and those who self-reported as exposed to chemicals at work.
• Experts affirmed demand for PCEMs both among consumers and in the workplace monitoring sector, and identified future opportunities and solutions for existing and anticipated challenges, including reducing device cost, educating consumers, and targeting “early adopters” for an initial market.

“Our findings suggest that entrepreneurs who can bring a viable personal chemical monitoring product into commerce have an incredible opportunity to claim part of a large and rapidly growing health and wellness technology market,” said Aileen Nowlan, EDF+Business Senior Manager.

See the full report: edf.org/tracking-chemical-exposure

(WASHINGTON, DC –July 30, 2019)—The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today commends Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) and Ranking Member Tom Carper (D-DE) as well as Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Ben Cardin (D-MD) for successfully marking up America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act (ATIA).

For the first time, the transportation infrastructure bill would include a climate and resilience title. Given that the transportation sector is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, this title is critical to not only reduce emissions across America and at our ports, but to invest in our infrastructure in ways that make our communities more resilient and safe. The bill will fund specific climate change investments such as electric vehicle infrastructure and carbon capture and sequestration technology. The bill also reauthorizes the highly successful Diesel Emissions Reduction Act; provides resources to reduce wildlife-vehicle collisions; and includes safety programs to lower driver and pedestrian fatalities.

ATIA was unanimously passed on a 21-0 vote.

“Chairman Barrasso, Ranking Member Carper, Senators Capito and Cardin worked together to craft a bill that bolsters America’s infrastructure while protecting the environment and reducing carbon pollution. As a result of their bipartisan leadership, for the first time, we have a surface transportation bill that includes critical emissions reduction provisions and direct investments in climate resilience. By boosting natural infrastructure, strengthening electric vehicle and alternative fuel corridors, and improving carbon capture and sequestration technology, this bill is the right investment for a changing world and helps to put us on a path towards a 100% clean future.”

• Elizabeth Gore, EDF Senior Vice President, Political Affairs

(Washington, D.C. – July 25, 2019) A broad coalition of 17 states, 6 cities and counties, and 16 environmental and public health organizations is asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit not to drop litigation about the Clean Power Plan at this time.

The coalition, including EDF, filed a response today asking the court to deny requests to dismiss the lawsuit because those requests were prematurely filed.

The Clean Power Plan established America’s first and only nationwide limit on carbon pollution from existing power plants. It would reduce climate pollution to 36 percent below 2005 levels by 2030 and would also reduce deadly soot and smog.

Opponents sued to stop the Clean Power Plan, and the D.C. Circuit heard oral argument en banc on September 27, 2016. The case is still pending.

On June 19, 2019, the Trump administration finalized a rule to scrap the Clean Power Plan and replace it with a toothless substitute that will provide no meaningful reduction in dangerous climate pollution — and could even lead to pollution increases in many parts of the country. Lawsuits already have been filed with the D.C. Circuit opposing that replacement rule.

Last week, Clean Power Plan opponents asked the D.C. Circuit to drop its case entirely, saying the new Trump administration rule makes it moot.

Today, EDF and others argued that the request to drop the case is premature because the weak replacement rule will not go into effect until September 6, 2019.

Meanwhile, while the Trump administration is working to roll back the Clean Power Plan and scuttle the lawsuits involving it, states and power companies across the country are moving ahead to reduce climate pollution from power plants – in some cases by much more than the Clean Power Plan called for.

“Industry progress shows us that the Clean Power Plan’s goals can be reached – and in fact, we can do much more,” said d EDF Lead Attorney Tomás Carbonell. “EPA should be embracing and accelerating that trend, not dismantling vital protections like the Clean Power Plan.”

Along with EDF, today’s response was file by the states of California, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, Rhode Island, Virginia, Oregon, Vermont and Washington, the cities of New York, Boulder, Chicago, Philadelphia and South Miami, and Broward County in Florida. The American Lung Association, Clean Air Council, Clean Wisconsin, Conservation Law Foundation, Ohio Environmental Council, Center for Biological Diversity, Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club, Western Highlands Conservancy, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, Coal River Mountain Watch, Kanawha Forest Coalition, Mon Valley Clean Air Coalition and Keepers of the Mountains Foundation also joined today’s filing.

(Washington, D.C. – July 25, 2019) The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) today applauds Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) for their continued efforts to address the dangers of climate change.

According to the Senators, the Climate Action Rebate Act of 2019 is designed to reduce U.S. carbon emissions 55% by 2030 and 100% by 2050 (compared to 2017 emissions). The bill would establish a rising fee on most greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation would rebate the majority of revenues from the carbon fee to low and middle income Americans as a monthly dividend. The remainder of the revenues would be spent on infrastructure, energy innovation, and worker and community transition assistance.

EDF appreciates that the bill includes a version of an Environmental Integrity Mechanism. EDF believes that all carbon fee proposals should include specific emissions reduction targets and timelines, as well as provisions to ensure they are met.

“Every day we see new examples of the serious damage that climate change is doing across the country, and new evidence that we have to move quickly to protect Americans families and communities,” said Elizabeth Gore, EDF Senior Vice President of Political Affairs. “Sadly we are also seeing the continuing disregard the President and his Administration have for the current and future health of Americans. Fortunately, we’re seeing renewed momentum to find climate change solutions – on Capitol Hill and around the country. We appreciate the leadership of Senators Coons and Feinstein on this critical issue.”

(WASHINGTON, DC – July 25, 2019)—EDF welcomes the introduction today of the Clean Industrial Technologies Act of 2019 (CITA) in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. This bipartisan bill focuses on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the most difficult to decarbonize pieces of the industrial sector, which represents around 30 percent of energy-related CO2 emissions in the U.S.

CITA would authorize a new U.S. Department of Energy-led research, development, and demonstration program to develop and deploy technologies that will help reduce GHG emissions industrial emission sources such as industrial heat, shipping, chemicals and plastic production, heavy transport including shipping and aviation, and cement and steel production.

“CITA recognizes the need for a national bipartisan strategy to reduce industrial GHG emissions. It is essential to addressing climate change and we are proud to support this effort. The bill sponsors Rep. Sean Casten (D-IL) and Rep. David McKinley (R-WV) in the House and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) in the Senate deserve our great thanks for their leadership in tackling these challenging issues,” said Elgie Holstein, Senior Director for Strategic Planning.

CITA directs the Department of Energy to establish a Transformative Industrial Technology Program aimed at developing innovative zero-carbon technologies. The program would also develop a roadmap for decarbonizing these technologies and assist states in implementation.

“The industrial energy sources targeted in CITA are among the hardest to decarbonize across our whole economy,” said Holstein. “Developing technologies that can provide low- and no-carbon alternatives can help the U.S. maintain a robust, dynamic and sustainable industrial sector.”

(Washington, D.C. – July 25, 2019) Environmental Defense Fund has filed a lawsuit in federal district court seeking to compel the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to release unlawfully redacted information that the agency failed to provide in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

EDF filed a complaint with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia today for documents related to a planned “red team/blue team” exercise that was intended to undermine EPA’s long-established use of rigorous, peer-reviewed climate science.

“Climate change is a danger to the health and safety of all Americans, and we have a right to know what our government is doing about it,” said EDF Attorney Ben Levitan. “The Trump administration’s attacks on climate science are a threat to us and our families. They should not be able to hide their actions from the public.”

The FOIA request at issue in today’s filing began in 2017, with reports that EPA was considering a “red team/blue team” exercise to reevaluate the overwhelming scientific consensus that greenhouse gas pollution is causing destructive changes in our climate. The exercise would have set up a debate between a team assigned to refute established climate science and a team to defend it. EDF was concerned that EPA was planning the exercise without public input, and planning to use it to undermine the scientific integrity of agency actions on climate change. We submitted a FOIA request to EPA on August 1, 2017 to increase public information about the issue.

EPA released some heavily redacted documents that related to the proposed “red team/blue team” exercise. The redacted documents include correspondence between EPA staff and two outside parties who were not employed by the federal government at the time – Dr. William Happer, co-founder of an organization that touts the purported benefits of carbon dioxide pollution, and Dr. Steven Koonin, an early promoter of the idea of a “red team/blue team exercise” for climate science.

FOIA clearly requires federal agencies to publicly release such communications on request. Yet EPA has failed to release the documents nearly two years after our FOIA request was filed, even though they could bear directly on how EPA interacted with outside stakeholders on the critical question of whether to reconsider climate science.

EDF has been forced to go to court repeatedly after FOIA requests to the Trump administration were not fulfilled, including two other times when the administration failed to release documents relating to its attacks on climate science:

• In October, 2017, EDF sued after the administration failed to respond to three FOIA requests, including one pertaining to interference with scientific research and communications at EPA.
• In August, 2018, EDF sued when EPA failed to release documents related to a proposed rule that would bar the agency from using key public health studies when making decisions about vital protections for human health and the environment.

“This is big news: Four automakers and the state of California just got together to take on our greatest challenge. Their leadership puts us on the road to a world that’s safer and healthier, with cleaner air and less climate pollution.

“The clean cars agreement that Ford, Honda, BMW and VW have reached with California will keep our nation moving forward in the urgent race to cut climate pollution. It will help us transition to zero-emitting vehicles while saving Americans hard-earned money at the gas pump.

“The automaker’s agreement with California to deploy clean cars nationwide demonstrates that the Administration’s rollbacks are unwarranted and not based on available technology or real world solutions. We call on all auto companies to join Ford, Honda, BMW and VW as signatories to this important agreement.”

- Fred Krupp, president of Environmental Defense Fund

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – July 24, 2019)—Today, Representative Donald McEachin (D-VA) announced that he will be introducing legislation to require the United States to achieve a 100% clean economy by 2050.

The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) is a strong advocate for 100% clean across the U.S. economy, not just the utility sector. The goal of the McEachin’s bill, to stop adding climate pollution by 2050, is consistent with the findings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

McEachin is leading the legislation along with Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Deb Haaland (D-NM), and Paul Tonko (D-NY).

“We need a serious solution for the climate crisis. Representative McEachin’s bill is an ambitious and achievable roadmap to a 100% clean energy future. By securing 100% clean energy across all sectors of the economy, we can create jobs, protect our communities and improve our kids’ health. It is a bold target that is consistent with science and will help us prevent the worst impacts of climate change. EDF 100% supports this bill because 100% clean is the energy that America needs.”

• Elizabeth Gore, EDF Senior Vice President, Political Affairs